Chennai: PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday strongly opposed the consent of Tamil Nadu government’s counsel in the Supreme Court to allow Karnataka to build a dam across the Cauvery in Megedatu and described the move as ‘a betrayal’. He said the state government should make it clear that it would oppose the project, during the next hearing in the Supreme Court.
He also lashed out at Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s announcement in Cuddalore that his government would set up a desalination project to solve the drinking water crisis. He charged that indiscriminate sand mining and lack of checkdams were the major reason for the water scarcity and added that desalination project would remain only on paper.
During the hearing of Cauvery dispute in the Supreme Court, Karnataka had stated that water could be released to Tamil Nadu only if Megedatu dam is built and the judges too had concurred with the view. The counsel for Tamil Nadu had replied that there would be no objection to the project if Karnataka released water to Tamil Nadu as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final order.
In the 1970s, when Cauvery dispute became acute, Karnataka built four dams. Karunanidhi who was the CM said TN would not object as long as its rights were honoured.
